Voice of Reason #6: Hokey Halloween Costumes

This is what Halloween should be about

Sexy Finding Nemo. I shit you not.

Just putting it out there, I don't dislike Halloween. I don't know why or how the day came into being, and why it demands we celebrate everything downright spooky and kooky, but I certainly don't cross my arms, turn my back and huff "what a load of rubbish". But I do have one tick that I have to get off my chest and that's to do with a growing trend in fancy dress.

On the whole, Halloween is great. The colours, the candy and of course, the costumes all make Halloween a fun evening that is essentially harmless and overtly silly. My problem is not with the concept of fancy dress on the whole. Of course not, it's all good fun, it's silly and is great for breaking the ice at parties. You don't even have to have made the effort to be particularly scary or creepy; better to have variety that two dozen witches and vampires.

What the actual fuck is sexy about
Kermit the Frog?

All I'm saying is; please don't come to a Halloween party dressed as "sexy" SpongeBob Squarepants. There is nothing remotely Halloween-y about dressing up as a skanky version of a kid's TV or movie character.  There are some seriously horrendous costumes out there; I mean, "sexy Nemo" - Really? How is dressing up as a really slutty pre-pubescent fish got anything to do with Halloween?

The list doesn't end there; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Shrek, Avatar, the Lion King and, get this, the Care Bears are all genuine things that you can buy a "sexy" Halloween costume of.

I mean really, what is sexy about Kermit the Frog? Who was it who decided that dressing up as a version of Snow White that moonlights as a prostitute was a good thing? Whatever happened to Halloween being scary?

Which is why I'm calling for this trend in 'sexing up' Halloween to stop. Seriously girls, put down the knee length socks, the short skirts and the ridiculous cleavage; that ain't Halloween.

Pick up some rubber fangs, some fake blood and face paint. Grab some scissors and don a bedsheet with cut out eye-holes. Anything, so long as it doesn't resemble a Disney character that has been spliced with Fifty Shades of Grey.

If this Halloween your invited to a party, go as a vampire, a zombie or a witch. In the name of all that is good and holy, please do not go as 'sexy' Edward Scissorhands. So long as it ain't remotely sexy, it still counts as Halloween and not as S&M.

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Formula 1: Indian GP Overview

Vettel makes it four on the trot

Sebastian Vettel continued to steamroller his way to a third World Championship with his fifth win of the year in India. Fernando Alonso trailed home in 2nd to keep close to Seb in the Drivers' Championship, whilst Mark Webber completed the podium. 

After a tough start to the year, Vettel and Red Bull have dominated in the pivotal final third of the year; the young German ace has now led every single lap since Lewis Hamilton retired from the lead of the Singapore Grand Prix back in September.

Massa and Raikkonen follow each other home

Much like 2011, Vettel was untouchable all weekend in India. He started on pole, lead every lap and cruised home at a canter. His driving has been impeccable, the ideal blend of speed and control he perfected last season. It really does seem that the title is now his to lose; barring a cataclysmic reversal in fortune, it is hard to imagine Vettel leaving Interlagos, or even Austin as a triple World Champion.

The man best placed to deny him of this is Fernando Alonso. If the title was decided on sheer grit, determination and self-belief, Fernando would no doubt have this year wrapped up by now. He has been driving like a champ all year and you just know he won't give up until it's impossible. Unfortunately for him, Red Bull seem to have hit a vein of performance at the most crucial moment, their RB8 transforming itself into an absolute monster. It'll take some sheer heroics from Fernando to take it to the wire with Seb in the last three rounds.

Elsewhere in India, it was fairly processional from the off. Following home the podium finishers was Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button in 4th and 5th, Felipe Massa in 6th and Kimi Raikkonen in 7th. McLaren had high hopes of getting amongst the Red Bull's in the race but ultimately faded; since Singapore, each race has been big on talk, little on delivery for the Woking squad.

Behind them, Nico Hulkenberg notched up another solid drive to 8th, whilst Grosjean's race was surprisingly timid to finish 9th. The final points paying place went to Bruno Senna who pulled some great overtakes on his team-mate and Perez after starting 13th.

Nico Hulkenberg's impressive form continued

Mercedes barely featured, Rosberg trundling home 11th and Schumacher yet again ending his race on the sidelines, his eighth retirement of the year. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Ross Brawn has started to tick off the days on his calender until a certain British driver arrives on January 1st...

Further back still, the two Toro Rosso's came to grief throughout the race, both Ricciardo and Vergne innocent participants in incidents that resulted in another driver ending up with a puncture. Williams' Maldonado also suffered a puncture after Kamui Kobayashi sliced across the rear of his car mid-race.

At Caterham, Petrov outraced team-mate Kovalainen whilst Charles Pic did well to beat Timo Glock at Marussia.

Onward then to Abu Dhabi in a mere seven days, a track dominated by two drivers in its short F1 tenure; Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton. We can expect those two to duke it out around Yas Marina with the rest of the pack in tow.

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Formula 1: Korean GP Overview

Vettel celebrates winning his third straight race

Vettel passes Webber on lap 1

Sebastian Vettel stamped down his authority on the title after dominating the Korean Grand Prix from start to finish.

With his third win in a row, Vettel snatches the title lead from rival Fernando Alonso with just four crucial races to go.

Starting in second, Vettel scythed ahead of team-mate Webber by Turn 3; from there, he didn't look back, stretching out a lead that was never reined in by Webber.

Mark meanwhile must be a little downtrodden about being so convincingly beaten by Vettel. Ever since he resigned with Red Bull in June, Mark has been something of an oddity, his form wildly fluctuating. He does serve a good purpose at Red Bull right now however; taking points off Alonso and being the perfect wingman for Vettel. Christian Horner may have remarked there are no team orders at Red Bull, but right now, it doesn't seem like that really matters anyway.

Lewis Hamilton concedes defeat
after finishing 10th at Yeongam

Completing the podium was Fernando Alonso. Given the pace of the Red Bull's, it was most definitely the best he could have hoped for. He'll need to pick up the pace however if he has any chance at beating Vettel; whilst Seb has won three races in a row, Fernando hasn't won since Germany in July; he needs to win again, and soon. Felipe Massa finished fourth, underlining his and Ferrari's improved pace as well as solidifying his position at the team for 2013.

Meanwhile, McLaren had an absolutely dismal afternoon. Starting third, Lewis Hamilton had hoped of challenging Vettel and Webber but he suffered from lack of balance for most of the race, a broken anti-roll bar compounding a dismal race for the Briton. He eventually finished a distant tenth, trailing the Toro Rosso's and with chunks of astroturf lodged in the side-pod of his car. Post-race, Hamilton conceded defeat, admitting his title challenge is as good as over; 61 points behind and only 100 points on offer, it's hard to disagree with him.

Hulkenberg dukes it out with Grosjean for sixth 

Likewise, Hamilton's soon to be ex-team-mate had a short-lived race. Starting tenth, Jenson Button was in danger of a mid-field tangle and that's exactly what he got; he was taken out by Kamui Kobayashi, the young Japanese driver going from the hero of Suzuka to the zero of Yeongam in a mere seven days.

My driver of the day was Nico Hulkenberg. The young German proved his worth by scaling the dizzy heights of sixth for Force India, comprehensively beating Romain Grosjean's Lotus in the process. If recent reports tying him to Sauber are true, he'll make a valuable asset to the Swiss team in 2013.

The Toro Rosso duo of Vergne and Ricciardo also had a good race, finishing eighth and ninth respectively. They beat both Sauber's, Williams' and Mercedes on a day with no rain, safety cars and stoppages, underlining the improvement of both drivers.

Disappointment reined supreme at teams like Williams and Mercedes, both of them leaving Korea pointless. For Mercedes, Nico Rosberg was a first lap casualty of Kobayashi whilst Schumacher's afternoon plodded along with oh so familiar mediocrity. For Williams, their car seemed to lack the fundamental pace of other teams like Force India and Lotus, Maldonado and Senna finishing a disappointing 14th and 15th respectively.

With four rounds left then, it seems as though F1 2012 has descended into a two horse race between two of the absolute greats of our modern era; Vettel and Alonso. After three straight wins, you'd be inclined to say Vettel will make it three titles on the trot but as Murray Walker once said, in F1 anything can happen and usually it does.

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Film Review: Taken 2

Liam Neeson adds to his repertoire of bad-ass action films by serving up another slice of gruff Irish grit in Taken 2. 

2008's Taken was something of a surprise hit for all involved; Neeson and co. expected the cheap Euro-thriller to head straight to DVD. Instead, the film raked in over $200 million worldwide, by which point a sequel would of been nigh on certainty.

Fast-forward to 2012 then and here we have it: Taken 2. Slightly confusing title and initial scepticism aside ("what?! how can she be taken AGAIN?"), Taken 2 follows on in the same vein as it's predecessor, mixing together a variety of action set pieces and more tender family scenes. It's simple, brutal and honest, something of a guilty pleasure.

After the events of the first film, screenwriters Luc Beeson and Robert Kamen have worked with the premise of dealing with consequences for ex-CIA operative Brian Mills' (Neeson) second-outing. Making Mills witness first-hand why killing a group of Albanian sex-traffickers doesn't go without repercussions is a clever enough plot-device to navigate the often difficulty of getting a sequel right.

What Taken 2 gets right is it's simplicity; it doesn't try to get overly clever. There is enough difference plot-wise to the first film to set it apart whilst enough similarity to remain familiar. Yes, someone is 'taken' in a dangerous, foreign country and yes, it is up to Brian to save the day, but it isn't simply treading water. Taken 2 strives to mix it up and show Mills when he is on the back foot and playing catch-up.

Moving the setting from the dodgy underbelly of Paris to the even dodgier underbelly of Istanbul, Taken 2 does slip up a little. Director Olivier Megaton seems hell bent on cramming in as many soundbites of prayer, and as many shots of mosques and crescent moons as possible, ramming home the point that anywhere other than good ol' apple-pie loving America is dangerous, seedy and rife with gun-toting Arabs. This might sound overly harsh, but when the main antagonist isn't even Arabic, it does seem as little out of place.

Add to this some questionable science involving hand-grenades and wind-direction, and it begins to feel like there were some clutching at straws going on during script-writing. The films' antagonists are also relatively forgettable, the same fate that befell their counterparts from the first film. Also, Taken 2's action sequences are ramped up on scale, detracting the gritty edge and plausibility the first film had in places.

Overall then Taken 2 isn't a bad film. It's simple, straightforward and sometimes silly. It's acted well by Neeson, Janssen and Grace and it also delivers enough action set pieces to keep the blood pumping. It might feel a little strained in places but on the whole, it's an enjoyable action-flick that gives Brian Mills' story a worthy second, and hopefully concluding, chapter. I mean, someone he knows can't possibly be taken a third time. Or could they?

I give Taken 2: 4/10

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Verdict: Doctor Who Series 7 Part 1

Doctorin' the TARDIS: Rory, The Doctor and Amy

Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill return for a third trip aboard the TARDIS as The Doctor, Amy Pond and Rory Williams in the five episodes kicking off Series 7, before the latter two bid farewell to the show. With the series once again split down into two (unequal) halves, I took time out after the first 5 episodes to weigh up on the show's 2012 return.

Asylum of the Daleks - 8/10

An episode penned by show front-runner Steven Moffat, Asylum of the Daleks was a ballsy and bold return for The Doctor and his companions. In a bid to make the Doctor's fiercest enemies scary again (and not cute and comical), Moffat upped the scale and the 'wow' factor. The opening shots of Skaro, the unending Dalek parliament and the Asylum itself was grand on scale.

Add to this the shock twist of the Pond's relationship troubles and the supposed future fate of a upcoming character, Asylum of the Daleks pulled out all the stops to kick off Season 7 in style; I thought it was a much stronger opener than The Impossible Astronaut that, whilst being wickedly clever, asked to many questions.

Dinosaurs on a Spaceship - 9/10

A completely wacky and absurd premise, Dinosaurs on a Spaceship had all the right ingredients to make a brilliant Doctor Who episode; it had a interesting setting, a slight twist (being the Silurian connection), it had funny, witty dialogue and some fresh faces (Rory's dad, Queen Nefertiti and Riddell).

It also continued down the intriguing path of showing the Eleventh Doctor's darker side; leaving Solomon to die at the end of the episode was similar to how the Doctor killed numerous Daleks in episode one. It's great to see the character grow and alter between incarnations - Moffat and co. aren't afraid to steer Smith's Doctor into darker territory.

A Town Called Mercy - 5/10

In my mind, the weakest Doctor Who episode for quite some time (probably since Victory of the Daleks in 2010), A Town Called Mercy really lacked that dash of magic the show has been drenched in for the last couple of years. The Western concept is a great one for the show to explore, it was just poorly carried out. If only the beautifully picturesque setting could have been carried over into the scripting and pacing. 

It felt drawn out and overly wordy whilst characters like Kahler-Jex and the Gunslinger were just tools used to bring the focus back on the Doctor's ever expanding darker side and morality. 

The Power of Three - 7/10

An intriguing premise similar to that of Closing Time or The Lodger, The Doctor moves into the home, this time of Amy and Rory to investigate the mysterious appearance of small, black cubes across the world. Again, much like the episode that preceded it, the narrative devices in this episode (the cubes, the Shakri) felt like they were really just second-rate compared with the over-arching story of Amy and Rory torn between their real-life and their 'Doctor life'. I particularly liked the way in which the story showed the disjointed nature of the couple's home life as a result of travels with the Doctor. 

The Power of Three however worked fairly well, the humour drawn from the Doctor's domestication being thoroughly entertaining, as well as Rory's Dad again being a welcome addition. The ending might have been a little rushed and anti-climatic but the main premise of the episode was to explore the changing attitudes that Amy and Rory has towards travelling with the Doctor; in this sense, the episode worked very well, being a brilliant blend of a clever and witty. 

The Angels Take Manhattan - 8/10

One of the most surprising episodes in a long while, episode five saw the departure of Amy and Rory following an encounter with the Weeping Angels in New York City. First off, plus points for this episode include the overall story; the way in which the book had the group's future laid out but they couldn't read ahead for fear of sealing their own fate was very clever. Also, the Angels were made seriously scary again, after something of an underwhelming outing last time in Series 5. The final scenes the Doctor shared with Amy and Rory were suitably heartbreaking, moving and left me guessing. 

One small complaint was the pacing of the Pond's final story; this episode could easily been stretched across two, with little time attributed to some aspects of the Pond's farewell. For example, at the end of Series 2, Rose's farewell was suitably drawn out and tied up in a nice little bow. Here, we were given scant information of the Pond's life once they arrived wherever they arrived. Add to this that Amy and Rory's family (especially his Dad) were never visited by the Doctor to apologise, and overall, the ending felt a little...rushed; not a good thing for characters who have been around for two and a half seasons. 

Based on what we got however, The Angels Take Manhattan was again a clever and twisting piece of narrative from Steven Moffat. If only it had been padded out a little, resolved a little neater, it would rate higher.

Final Thoughts - 7.4/10 (mean average)

Overall, the first half of Season 7 is fairly strong, solid collection of Doctor Who adventures. So far, the series has been at its best when it felt audacious, witty, adventurous and snappy, such as the opening duo of episodes. Asylum and Dinosaurs were great ideas carried out confidently and they really set the bar high for single, stand alone episodes. It was when the time to say farewell came around that the story felt a little rushed. The Pond's farewell was emotional and suspenseful but at the same time underwhelming through the rapid pace of the final episodes. 

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Formula 1: Japanese GP Overview

Vettel seals the deal at Suzuka

The pendulum swung in favour of Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel in the Japanese Grand Prix, with the young German sealing his third GP win of the year. Championship leader Fernando Alonso was knocked out at the first corner after contact with fellow rival Kimi Raikkonen. 

With his win, Vettel edges ever closer to the increasingly vulnerable Fernando Alonso. With a spring in his step, Vettel's win in Japan never looked in doubt, his lead stretching evermore throughout the race. At the whell of a Red Bull car that looks increasingly impressive with each passing round, Vettel is now the firm favourite for this year's title.

Alonso has an unwanted encounter with the
gravel trap on Lap 1

As is usually the case in Suzuka, Sunday's Grand Prix kicked off with a dash of chaos on the first lap. Contact between Raikkonen and Alonso put the latter in the gravel and out of the race, significantly changing the landscape of this year's championships. There was also contact between Mark Webber and Romain Grosjean (the latter putting the former into a spin), the latest in a series of high-profile incidents for the young Frenchman. It put Mark at the back of the pack and ruined his race from the word go.

Sergio Perez span out after showing early promise, initially challenging for some solid points. McLaren were  strangely off-form in Japan, Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton never really challenging for the podium after disappointing qualifying results. The latter will be buoyed by scoring solid points and Fernando's retirement but will be worried by the sheer pace Vettel demonstrated in the latter stages of the race; for Lewis, it might simply be a case of too little too late if he is able to claw back some points on the leaders.

Felipe Massa was a welcome addition to the podium finishers. The Brazilian grasped the opportunity of early retirements to finish second, his first podium since Korea 2010. It solidifies his position within Ferrari for next year, a future that was beginning to seem in doubt.

Likewise, Kamui Kobayashi added certainty to his future at Sauber by coming home second, much to the delight of the huge crowds. A spirited drive from the young Japanese driver saw him lose second to Felipe early on but fend off Button to seal his maiden podium finish.

Hamilton seemed to struggle against opponents like
Perez and Hulkenberg (above)

Other noteworthy drives included Kimi Raikkonen coming home a consistent sixth (he ran close to Hamilton at the second round of stops, the Englishman coming out on top), as well as Schumacher making his way through the field to from twenty-third to finish eleventh. Webber recovered from his first corner crash with Grosjean to finish ninth, beating fellow Aussie Ricciardo in tenth.

Hulkenberg looked to challenge Hamilton early on but ultimately came home a still impressive seventh. Maldonado won his first points since Barcelona by finishing eighth.

With two on trot for Vettel, 2012 seems to be his to lose. Although, we've said that about Alonso and Hamilton before now. The pendulum could very easily swing in another's favour in the five rounds left. It ain't over yet. Check back in a week for my race report on next weekend's Korean Grand Prix.

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Formula 1: Musical Chairs

Hamilton's move to Mercedes has kicked off
a game of Formula One musical chairs

Like a delicately played game of chess, where drivers end up driving from one season to the next is a long, drawn out process involving mind games and sleight of hand. Whilst back in June, it seemed completely bonkers that Lewis Hamilton would up-shop and leave behind McLaren (see my article on the start of the silly season here), we now know that is exactly the case.

Numerous factors such as poor reliability, pitstop mishaps, sluggish in-season development, driver parity and new 2014 engine regulations have all added to the decision Hamilton made on moving to Mercedes next year. The move has started and will continue to have a ripple effect up and down the paddock for months to come. We have already seen this beginning to play out; Perez has been announced at McLaren and Schumacher has been displaced at Mercedes. The question is now, how does it impact everyone else? Who will be sitting where when the music stops?

Here then, are my entirely unreliable predictions for the 2013 grid; after all, who knows for certain how it'll play out come next year's Australian Grand Prix.

Red Bull

Confirmed: Sebastian Vettel/Mark Webber

Let's kick off with an easy one. Red Bull were the first team on the grid to announce their 2013 line-up way back in June. Retaining Vettel and Webber is a no-brainer for the Milton Keynes outfit; the duo have won every single one of the team's race victories ever and have delivered back to back Drivers' and Constructors' Championships. They fit well into defined No. 1 and No.2 roles (no matter how much Webber complains) and will remain that way for the foreseeable future. With Buemi and Alguesuari given the boot and Ricciardo and Vergne not ready to step up, Webber was always the best bet for a harmonious future at Red Bull.

McLaren

Confirmed: Jenson Button/Sergio Perez

Given the shock loss of their star driver, stealing Sergio Perez from the clutches of Sauber and Ferrari is a massive coup for McLaren. Losing Hamilton will sting and also hamper the team's morale. Knowing that another star driver has flown the nest (Hamilton follows in Alonso, Raikkonen, Montoya, Prost and Senna by leaving Macca), will dampen the spirits of everyone back at Woking. 

This is why they have opted for the future potential of rising star Sergio Perez. Perez has been impressive this season, with three podiums in Malaysia, Canada and Italy. He will no doubt relish the opportunity of racing for a top flight team. Jenson meanwhile will be pleased that he has no longer has 'the fastest driver in F1' to worry about as a team-mate. McLaren's prospects in 2013 look fair to say the least; give them a car that is competitive and Sergio and Jenson will deliver. 

Ferrari

Confirmed: Fernando Alonso

Probable: Felipe Massa
Possible: Nico Hulkenberg/Paul di Resta/Heikki Kovalainen

With Perez headed to McLaren, the pressure on Felipe Massa is lifted somewhat. The only drivers considered by Ferrari now are Force India duo Hulkenberg and di Resta as well as Kovalainen. All of them are quick, consistent and reliable, with no threat of challenging Fernando for No. 1 status (in theory at least). My money is on Ferrari retaining Massa for one more year.

Lotus

Confirmed: N/A

Probable: Kimi Raikkonen/ Romain Grosjean

Possible: Jerome D'Ambrosio/Davide Valsecchi

With no reason to axe either driver, the main factor at play here is if Kimi wants to return in 2013. His comeback has been successful but has yet to warrant victory. Should Kimi stay on, Lotus would no doubt sign him up alongside Grosjean who, various misdemeanour's aside, has proved quick on occasion. 

Should Kimi grow tired of not winning, possible replacements include third driver D'Ambrosio and GP2 Champ Valsecchi. My prediction is one more year with Kimi and Romain. 

Mercedes

Confirmed: Lewis Hamilton/Nico Rosberg

In Hamilton and Rosberg, Mercedes have a line-up that should work well. Quick, youthful, hungry, both drivers will push the other forward in 2013. Losing Schumacher won't hamper them either; he was always more of a financial ploy anyway. 

Hamilton aims to build a team around him, much like Michael did with Ferrari in the late 90's. Only time will tell whether his move was a stroke of genius or stupidity. 

Williams

Confirmed: N/A

Probable: Pastor Maldonado/Valterri Bottas

Possible: Bruno Senna/Adrian Sutil/Jaime Alguesuari

The most likely line-up here is Maldonado to stay on alongside the increasingly impressive Bottas. Senna has been mediocre and will most likely make way for Valterri. Either that, or a complete shock in hiring F1 refugees Sutil or Alguesuari.

Force India

Confirmed: N/A

Probable: Paul di Resta/Nico Hulkenberg

Possible: Jules Bianchi

Force India's line-up relies upon Ferrari's decision on Massa. Should Massa get the boot, both Paul and Nico are in prime position to get a phone call from Maranello, with Jules Bianchi stepping in to replace the departed. If Ferrari retain Massa, my prediction is for di Resta and Hulkenberg to stay on. 

Sauber

Confirmed: N/A

Probable: Kamui Kobayashi/Esteban Guiterrez

Possible: Michael Schumacher/Felipe Massa

After the departure of Perez, Sauber have drivers lining up to fill the vacancy. It is likely that Sauber will retain Kamui Kobayashi for stabilities sake. He has been overshadowed by Perez so far this year but is a increasingly safe pair of hands. Should financial issues loom for Sauber however, Kamui could get the boot given his lack of personal sponsorship.

Esteban Guiterrez has been Sauber's third driver for nearly two years now and looks likely as a Perez replacement. This however, relies upon Schumacher. Should Michael choose to stay on, Sauber have already announced their interest in signing him on for 2013. This, in my mind, seems unlikely given how poorly Michael's comeback has gone so far. Likewise, a possible destination for Massa, should he get the boot from Ferrari is his old team of Sauber.

My money is on a Kobayashi/Guiterrez partnership in 2013 with Schumacher to retire.

Toro Rosso

Confirmed: N/A

Probable: Daniel Ricciardo/Jean-Eric Vergne

With no body else to really fill the void, I predict that Toro Rosso will retain their current line-up for next season, rewarding them with more experience and a shot at replacing a retiring Webber or a departing Vettel (given rumours surrounding a move to Ferrari are true) in 2014.  

Caterham

Confirmed: N/A

Probable: Heikki Kovalainen

Possible: Vitaly Petrov/Bruno Senna/Felipe Massa/Adrian Sutil/Jaime Alguesuari/Davide Valsecchi

Much like Force India, Caterham's line-up hinges on Ferrari. If Kovalainen is asked to partner Alonso next year, a straight swap with Massa could be on the cards. If Massa stays on/Ferrari opt for a Force Indian driver, my money is on Kovalainen to stay on at Caterham.

Who he will be teamed up with is another matter. Petrov has been mediocre and is struggling for sponsorship. Should he get the boot, there are a plethora of names viable to fill the void such as Senna, Sutil, Alguesuari or Valsecchi.

My prediction is for Kovalainen to be kept on with either Petrov or Senna as his team-mate.

Marussia

Confirmed: N/A

Probable: Timo Glock/Max Chilton

Possible: Charles Pic/Vitaly Petrov

In keeping with tradition, I predict Max Chilton to take over from Charles Pic in 2013, assuming Marussia keep Timo Glock as lead driver. Either that, or Marussia opt to wrench Russian driver Petrov from Caterham, making for Russia's first driver/team combo. 

HRT

Confirmed: N/A

Possible: Pedro de la Rosa/Narain Karthikeyan/Dani Clos/Vitantonio Liuzzi
Predicting who will be lining-up for HRT next year is tricky; de la Rosa is like Schumacher; his career is in its twilight phase so I doubt we will be seeing him next year. Karthikeyan's role also surprises me, the Indian never having shown much potential throughout his career.

Regardless of this, I predict that HRT will retain it's current line-up in 2013 or utilise Liuzzi and rookie (and Spaniard) Dani Clos, two of their three third drivers. 

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